Joseph Lieberman on Gun Control

Democratic Jr Senator (CT), ran for V.P. with Gore, ran for president 2004

Licensing & registration violate fundamental right to guns

Q: In the 2000 campaign, Al Gore had a proposal for the licensing of all new handguns bought by gun owners. Anyone who wanted to buy a new handgun had to get licensed. Will you support that proposal in this campaign?

LIEBERMAN: I do not support that proposal. I have never supported such a proposal.

Q: But you were part of the ticket.

LIEBERMAN: Gore came out with that position before I came on to the ticket. The issue never really came up.
Al Gore said to me when I got on the ticket, "Don't change anything about yourself, that's why I chose you."

American citizens have a right to own firearms. It is no more unlimited than any other right that we have.
The laws that we pass ought to concentrate on stopping criminals and children and others who shouldn't have guns from getting them. Licensing, registration, in my opinion are bad ideas and violations of that fundamental right.

Source: Democratic Debate in Columbia SC
May 3, 2003

Safe havens: Ban guns in schools and churches

On the eve of the anniversary of the Columbine killings, it is time to step back and think about how we can restore our common sense of security. The Columbine tragedy and others like it should also be enough to cause all of us to draw some lines around
those spaces where guns have no place, and thus begin to reclaim the safe havens in our communities.

[We should prohibit] firearms in schools, scholastic settings, and places of worship. Saturday Night Specials do not belong in Sunday School classes
or any other place where families are learning, playing or praying. Every community is entitled to at least a few sites of sanctuary, where they can honor their families and their God without fearing for their safety or their lives. But the reality is
that at least 22 states permit gunowners to carry concealed weapons in places of worship, and many allow them at school events off campus.

Source: Senate statement, “Safe Havens”
Apr 14, 2000

Safety locks, background checks, & bans on sale to kids

The juvenile justice bill would require all new handguns to be sold with safety locks; would require background checks for people who buy firearms at gun shows; and would bar the transfer of semi-automatic assault weapons and large capacity clips to
minors. “These new protections won’t guarantee that our children will be gun-free,” Lieberman said. “But they will reduce the likelihood that weapons will fall into the wrong small hands, and they will save lives, which is why I strongly supported them.”

Vote to pass a bill that would block certain civil lawsuits against manufacturers, distributors, dealers and importers of firearms and ammunition, mainly those lawsuits aimed at making them liable for gun violence. In this bill, trade groups would also be protected The bill would call for the dismissal of pending lawsuits against the gun industry. The exception would be lawsuits regarding a defect in a weapon or ammunition. It also would provide a 10-year reauthorization of the assault weapons ban which is set to expire in September 2004. The bill would increase the penalties for gun-related violent or drug trafficking crimes which have not resulted in death, to a minimum of 15 years imprisonment. The bill calls for criminal background checks on all firearm transactions at gun shows where at least 75 guns are sold. Exemptions would be made available for dealers selling guns from their homes as well as members-only gun swaps and meets carried out by nonprofit hunting clubs.

Voted NO on loosening license & background checks at gun shows.

Vote to table or kill a motion to require that all gun sales at gun shows be completed by federally licensed gun dealers. Also requires background checks to be completed on buyers and requires gun show promoters to register with the Treasury.

Voted NO on maintaining current law: guns sold without trigger locks.

Vote to table [kill] an amendment to make it unlawful for gun dealers to sell handguns without providing trigger locks. Violation of the law would result in civil penalties, such as suspension or revocation of the dealer's license, or a fine.

Prevent unauthorized firearm use with "smart gun" technology.

Lieberman signed the manifesto, "A New Agenda for the New Decade":

Make America the “Safest Big Country” in the World After climbing relentlessly for three decades, crime rates started to fall in the 1990s. Nonetheless, the public remains deeply concerned about the prevalence of gun violence, especially among juveniles, and Americans still avoid public spaces like downtown retail areas, parks, and even sports facilities.

We need to keep policing “smart” and community-friendly, prohibiting unjust and counterproductive tactics such as racial profiling; focus on preventing as well as punishing crime; pay attention to what happens to inmates and their families after sentencing; use mandatory testing and treatment to break the cycle of drugs and crime; and enforce and strengthen laws against unsafe or illegal guns. Moreover, we need a renewed commitment to equal justice for all, and we must reject a false choice between justice and safety.

Technology can help in many areas: giving police more information on criminal
suspects so they do not rely on slipshod, random stop-and-search methods; allowing lower-cost supervision of people on probation or parole; and making it possible to disable and/or trace guns used by unauthorized persons.

Above all, we need to remember that public safety is the ultimate goal of crime policy. Until Americans feel safe enough to walk their neighborhood streets, enjoy public spaces, and send their children to school without fear of violence, we have not achieved public safety.

Goals for 2010

Reduce violent crime rates another 25 percent.

Cut the rate of repeat offenses in half.

Develop and require “smart gun” technology to prevent use of firearms by unauthorized persons and implement sensible gun control measures.